Modified pontoon assembly for improved flotation and method of assembly thereof

ABSTRACT

A section of a pontoon for a pontoon boat includes a tubular body having a first end and a second end. The second end is configured to being coupled to another section of the pontoon. An end cap is coupled to the first end of the tubular body and a profile having at least two curvatures. The at least two curvatures include a first curvature defined by a first radius and a second curvature defined by a second radius.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication Ser. No. 63/322,840, filed Mar. 23, 2022, the disclosure ofwhich is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates to a pontoon boat, and more particularlyto a modified end portion and end cap of a pontoon boat.

BACKGROUND

Pontoon boats are popular recreational watercraft that are desirable dueto their ability to carry a large number of persons and a heavy load.Early versions of conventional pontoon boats were assembled by attachinga wooden deck to the top of two columns of steel barrels welded togetherend to end to form a cylindrical pontoon. While most pontoons may now beformed of aluminum, many pontoon boat companies still utilize theconventional design of wooden decks attached to two cylindricalbarrel-shaped pontoons, each having a nose cone and an end cap.

Over the years, improving pontoon boat performance has consisted ofusing a larger motor, which can provide more thrust, or adding a thirdpontoon to the center of a pontoon boat, which can reduce drag by givingmore pontoon surface area to support the weight of the boat and allowthe boat to float higher in the water. While these design changes haveimproved pontoon boat performance, problems still arise from thecontinued use of traditional cylindrical pontoons. It is generallydesirable for the performance of pontoon boats that the pontoonsgenerate lift. However, conventional pontoons often generate very littlelift because the bottom surface of the cylindrical pontoon is rounded.

SUMMARY

In a first implementation of the present disclosure, a longitudinalsection of a pontoon for a pontoon boat includes a tubular body having afirst end and a second end. The second end is configured to beingcoupled to another section of the pontoon. The section includes an endcap coupled to the first end of the tubular body. The end cap includes aprofile having at least two curvatures, where the at least twocurvatures includes a first curvature defined by a first radius and asecond curvature defined by a second radius.

In one example of this implementation, the first curvature is convex andthe second curvature is concave. In a second example, the profile formsa S-curve. In a third example, the first radius is greater than thesecond radius. In a fourth example, the first radius is less than thesecond radius. In a fifth example, the first radius and second radiusare approximately the same.

In a sixth example, the profile of the end cap is formed by a pluralityof portions, the plurality of portions including at least a firstportion, a second portion, a third portion, a fourth portion, and afifth portion. The at least first portion and fifth portion aregenerally flat and disposed in planes parallel to one another. In aseventh example, the fifth portion includes a surface area that isgreater than a surface area of the first portion. In an eighth example,the second portion forms the first curvature and the fourth portionforms the second curvature.

In a ninth example, the third portion is generally flat and disposed atan angle relative to the first and fifth portions. In a tenth example,the first and fifth portions are arranged in vertical planes offset fromone another, and the third portion is arranged in a horizontal plane.

In another implementation of the present disclosure, a pontoon boatincludes a frame having a first end and a second end, the first endlocated at a bow and the second end located at the stern. A deck ismounted to the frame, and a pontoon for floatation of the boat includesa longitudinal section formed by a tubular body having a first end and asecond end. The second end is configured to being coupled to anotherlongitudinal section of the pontoon. The pontoon includes an end capcoupled to the first end of the tubular body, wherein the end capincludes a profile having at least two curvatures. The at least twocurvatures includes a first curvature defined by a first radius and asecond curvature defined by a second radius.

In one example, the pontoon comprises a plurality of pontoons. In asecond example, the first curvature is convex and the second curvatureis concave. In a third example, the profile of the end cap is formed bya plurality of portions, the plurality of portions including at least afirst portion, a second portion, a third portion, a fourth portion, anda fifth portion. At least the first portion and fifth portion aregenerally flat and disposed in planes parallel to one another. Thesecond portion forms the first curvature and the fourth portion formsthe second curvature. The third portion is generally flat and disposedat an angle relative to the first and fifth portions.

In another example of this implementation, the pontoon boat includes abracket coupled to the fifth portion and a wire chase coupled to the endcap. The wire chase extends between the first portion and the fifthportion. A riser assembly is coupled between the tubular body and thedeck. In another example, the riser assembly extends rearwardly of theend cap to overhang the tubular body.

In a further implementation of the present disclosure, a method offorming a pontoon for a pontoon boat includes forming a substantiallyflat piece of material into a tubular body, the tubular body having adefined length and diameter. The method includes forming an end cap toinclude a profile having at least two curvatures, the at least twocurvatures including a first curvature defined by a first radius and asecond curvature defined by a second radius. The method also includescoupling the end cap to the tubular body, forming a first section of thepontoon with the end cap and tubular body, and coupling the firstsection of the pontoon with at least a second section.

In one example of this implementation, the tubular body is formed byrolling the material to a desired diameter and cutting the material to adesired length. In another example, the forming an end cap includespressing the end cap to define the first curvature and the secondcurvature, and forming a plurality of portions of the end cap to definethe profile. The plurality of sections includes a first section, a thirdsection and a fifth section being substantially flat and a secondsection and a fourth section formed by the respective first curvatureand the second curvature.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above-mentioned aspects of the present disclosure and the manner ofobtaining them will become more apparent and the disclosure itself willbe better understood by reference to the following description of theimplementations of the disclosure, taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional pontoon boat;

FIG. 2A is a side view of a pontoon of a pontoon boat;

FIG. 2B is a bottom rear perspective view of the pontoon of FIG. 2 ;

FIG. 3 is a rear view of the pontoon of FIG. 2 ;

FIG. 4 is a side view of a rear section of the pontoon of FIG. 2 ;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the rear section of FIG. 4 ; and

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of a method for forming a pontoon for a boat.

Corresponding reference numerals are used to indicate correspondingparts throughout the several views.

It should be understood that the drawings are not necessarily to scaleand that the implementations are sometimes illustrated by graphicsymbols, phantom lines, diagrammatic representations and fragmentaryviews. In certain instances, details which are not necessary for anunderstanding of the implementations described and claimed herein orwhich render other details difficult to perceive may have been omitted.It should be understood, of course, that the inventions described hereinare not necessarily limited to the particular implementationsillustrated. Indeed, it is expected that persons of ordinary skill inthe art may devise a number of alternative configurations that aresimilar and equivalent to the implementations shown and described hereinwithout departing from the spirit and scope of the claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The implementations of the present disclosure described below are notintended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the preciseforms disclosed in the following detailed description. Rather, theimplementations are chosen and described so that others skilled in theart may appreciate and understand the principles and practices of thepresent disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 1 of the present disclosure, a conventional pontoonboat 100 is illustrated. This in only intended to be one of manyexamples of various pontoon boats. Nonetheless, in this implementation,the pontoon boat 100 includes a frame forming a bow or front end 102, astern or rear end 104, a port or left side 106, and a starboard or rightside 108. The pontoon 100 may comprise a deck 110 mounted or otherwisecoupled to one or more conventional pontoons. In FIG. 1 , for example,the deck 110 is mounted to a first pontoon 112, a second pontoon 114,and a third pontoon 116. In other implementations, the deck 110 may bemounted to only two pontoons. In yet other implementations, the deck 110may be mounted to three or more pontoons. Although not shown in FIG. 1 ,one or more power-generating devices such as motors or engines may becoupled to the frame for powering the boat 100. In one implementation,the one or more power-generating devices are coupled to the stern 104 ofthe boat 100.

The pontoons may be formed of a metal such as aluminum, whereas the deck110 may be constructed from a marine-grade plywood or composite deckingmaterial. In some implementations, one or more mounting braces 118 maybe used for attaching the deck 110 to the pontoons 112, 114, 116.

As is known with conventional pontoon boats, each pontoon may beconstructed with a nose cone 120 at the front end of each pontoon. Thenose cone 120 may be seam welded 122 in a factory to an adjacentcylindrical section of the pontoon as shown in FIG. 1 . Moreover, theconventional pontoon generally has at least three components includingthe nose cone 120, a number of barrels or substantially cylindricalsections joined by circumferential welds, and an end cap. The nose cone120 may be constructed by forming two nose cone halves, a right and lefthalf. The respective nose cone halves are then welded together along avertical axis to form the nose cone piece.

The body of a pontoon is generally constructed from a number of barrelsegments or cylindrical sections. Generally, a pontoon barrel segment orsection is constructed from a flat rectangular piece or sheet of metalthat is shaped into a cylinder and joined by a longitudinal weld seam. Aconventional pontoon is thereafter constructed of two or more pontooncylindrical sections joined at one or more ends using circumferentialwelds. Each cylindrical section-joining circumferential weld is orientedperpendicular to the length of the pontoon, and when the pontoonsections are welded together, they form a long cylindrical pontoon bodyto which the nose cone and end caps are attached using circumferentialweld seams. Together, when the unit is completed, it is commonlyreferred to as a pontoon.

In FIG. 1 , the pontoon boat 100 also includes perimeter railing 124 toenclose a seating area on the boat which may include various seating. InFIG. 1 , the boat 100 is shown including a first arrangement of seating126 towards the bow 102 and a second arrangement of seating 128 towardsthe stern 104. A first gate 130 located towards the bow 102 and a secondgate 132 located at the port 106. The pontoon boat 100 of FIG. 1 alsoincludes a bimini 134, which is a type of folding canvas top used toprotect passengers from rain and sun.

With conventional pontoon boats, there is a desire to continuously addmore power via a larger engine or motor and add more carrying capacityin the form of additional passengers and/or cargo (e.g., anchor, etc.).With this desire, larger engines are heavier. Additional passengers orcargo further adds weight to the boat. This additional weight can causethe pontoon boat to sit deeper in the water. More specifically, largerengines add further weight to the stern or rear of the boat. As aresult, there is a need to increase flotation at the stern to help floatthe engine.

Moreover, it can be desirable to have the deck support built into thepontoons to help support some of the weight. This may also allow thedeck to extend more rearwardly from the chassis of the boat. The deckrearward extension is becoming more popular and can provide a strongfoundation.

To obtain some of these desirable attributes, there is a need toincrease the flotation of the pontoons and further allow a cantileverportion of a supporting structure to support the deck. As is known inthe art, government regulation with respect to capacity limits on apontoon boat can be based on flotation, i.e., does the boat sit level inthe water while at rest. With better flotation, more people and gear (orcargo) may be onboard the pontoon boat.

Referring to FIGS. 2A-2B, one implementation of a pontoon 200 is shown.Here, the pontoon 200 may include a body forming a front end 202, a rearend 204, a top end 206, and a bottom end 208. The pontoon 200 may beformed by a plurality of segments or sections, as described above. Thepontoon may be formed along a longitudinal axis defined through thefront end 202 and rear end 204. In this implementation, the pontoon 200may include a first section 210 located at the front end 202. The firstsection 210 may also be referred to as the nose cone. Adjacent to thefirst section 210 may be a second section 212, and adjacent to thesecond section 212 may be a third section 214. A fourth section 216 maybe located adjacent to the third section 214. The fourth section 216 maybe located at the rear end 204 of the pontoon 200. While in thisimplementation there are four sections shown, in other implementationsthere may be three or fewer sections. For example, there may be a singlesection between the front and rear of the pontoon. In another example,there may be a nose cone and another section coupled thereto. In yetanother example, there may be a nose cone, a rear section, and a sectioncoupled therebetween. On the other hand, in some implementations theremay be more than four sections. Thus, the present disclosure is notlimited to the number of sections used to form the pontoon.

Each of the plurality of sections may be welded to one another via aseam welder. Each section may be constructed of a metal such asaluminum, and provided as a sheet of metal which is then formed into itssubstantially cylindrical section as shown. While welding is one mannerin which the different sections are coupled, the present disclosure isnot limited to any particular method by which the sections are coupled.

In FIG. 2A, the pontoon 200 may include a lifting strake 218 and a pad226 (or running pad). The lifting strake 218 and pad 226 may beconventional components designed for performance whereby the boat isbetter able to reach the top of the water quicker. In someimplementations, the lifting strake 218 and pad 226 may only be coupledto the pontoon on its inner side. As shown in FIG. 3 , a keel 304 may beprovided on the bottom of the pontoon 200. The keel 304 may beconventional in its design and function, i.e., to further assist withlifting the boat out of the water.

The pontoon 200 may also include a support system including a riserassembly 220, as shown in FIG. 2A. As shown in FIG. 3 , the riserassembly 220 may include a first riser 300 and a second riser 302. Thefirst riser 300 may be located on one side of the longitudinal axis andthe second riser 302 may be located on the opposite side thereof. In oneimplementation, the first riser 300 or second riser 302 may extendlongitudinally approximately the full length of the pontoon 200. Inanother implementation, the other of the two risers may only extend aportion of the length of the pontoon. For example, in oneimplementation, the other riser may extend between 1-2 feet. In anotherexample, the riser may extend at least one foot. In yet another example,the riser may extend less than one foot. In one implementation, thefirst riser 300 may be located on an insider whereas the second riser302 may be located on the outside of the pontoon 200.

In some implementations, cross members (not shown) may be supported onthe riser assembly 220. The riser assembly 220 may form part of thechassis or frame of the pontoon boat 200. In several implementations,the deck of the pontoon boat 200 may be supported on the riser assembly220. In one implementation, the first riser 300 and second riser 302 maybe coupled to the pontoon 200. For example, the first riser 300 andsecond riser 302 may be welded to the pontoon 200. In one instance, therisers may be welded directly to the fourth section 216 of the pontoon200. In another instance, the risers may be welded to two or more of thesections including the fourth section 216. In other implementations, therisers may be coupled to the pontoon via other conventional meansbesides or in addition to welding.

As shown in FIGS. 2A and 4 , a bracket 224 may be coupled to an end cap404 of the fourth section 216. The bracket 224 may be coupled to the endcap 404 via welding, fasteners, or other known means. The bracket 224may be referred to as a “bilge bracket” in some instances. In any event,the bracket 224 may be utilized for a plurality of functions. In oneimplementation, an underwater light or lighting may be coupled to thebracket 224. In another implementation, a transducer mount may becoupled to the bracket 224 for detecting a water temperature and/orwater depth. One or more anodes may be coupled to the bracket 224. Otheruses may be carried out with the bracket 224 such that it is a multi-usebracket.

As shown in FIGS. 3-5 , a wire chase 306 may be provided and coupled tothe end cap 404. The wire chase 206 may comprise a first end 500 and asecond end 502, where the first end 500 is coupled to the end cap 404near a top end 206 of the fourth section 216. The second end 502 may becoupled to the end cap 404 proximate the bottom end 208 of the fourthsection 216. The wire chase 306 may be constructed as an aluminumextrusion in some implementations. In other implementations, the wirechase 306 may be formed of other materials such as other metals orplastics. In one implementation, the wire chase 306 may be formed of agenerally square tube or hollow structure that defines a channeltherethrough. In another implementation, an annular-shaped tube orstructure may be used for the wire chase 306. Other shapes and sizes arecontemplated by this disclosure. The wire chase 306 may follow theprofile of the end cap 404 as shown in FIG. 4 . The wire chase 306 maybe useful for routing wires from above the pontoon 200 and/or above thedeck to the bracket 224. In some implementations, these wires (notshown) may be coupled to lighting, sensors, a transmitter or otherdevice coupled to the bracket 224.

As also shown in FIG. 5 , the pontoon 200 may include a spray rail 504.In one implementation, the spray rail 504 may be located on an oppositeside of the pontoon from the lifting strake 218. The spray rail 504 maybe welded or otherwise coupled to the pontoon 200, and specifically toat least the fourth section 216 thereof.

The pontoon 200 of the present disclosure may achieve greater flotationvia several ways, but one of which is due to the profile orcross-section of the end cap 404 and fourth section 216 of the pontoon200. As shown in FIG. 2 , the profile 222 of the end cap 404 maycomprise multiple undulations and curvatures. Unlike conventional endcaps, the end cap 404 of the present disclosure is not substantiallyflat and arranged within a single plane. The end cap 404 of FIG. 4 , forexample, is formed outside of a single plane.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4 of the present disclosure, one implementationof the fourth section 216 and end cap 404 is shown. In thisimplementation, the fourth section 216 may be formed of a tubular body402 having a front face 400 and the end cap 404. The end cap 404 may bedisposed on an opposite side of the body 402 from the front face 400.Specifically, the front face 400 may be coupled to the third section 214of the pontoon 200. Further, a weld seam or the like may be formedaround the circumference of the front face 400 to couple the thirdsection 214 and fourth section 216 to one another.

As shown in FIG. 3 , the end cap 404 may be formed into a plurality ofportions. For example, at a top 206 of the end cap 404, the end cap 404may include a first portion 308. At a bottom 208 of the end cap 404 is afifth portion 310. In one implementation, the first portion 308 andfifth portion 310 may be generally flat and disposed in vertical planeswhich are substantially parallel to one another. The surface area of theend cap 404 that forms the fifth portion 310 may be greater than thesurface area that forms the first portion 308. Moreover, in someimplementations, the surface area that forms the fifth portion 310 maybe greater than the surface area of any of the other portions of the endcap 404.

The end cap 404 may also be formed including a second portion 312, athird portion 314, and a fourth portion 316. As shown in FIG. 4 , thesecond portion 312 may be formed having a curvature defined by a firstradius, R₁. In another implementation, the fourth section 316 may beformed having a curvature defined by a second radius, R₂. In someimplementations, the first radius is greater than the second radius. Inother implementations, the first radius is smaller than the secondradius. In yet other implementations, the first and second radii areapproximately the same. In one implementation, the first radius, R₁,forms a convex curvature. In an implementation, the second radius, R₂,forms a concave curvature. In some implementations, the end cap 404 isformed by a plurality of curvatures. One of the plurality of curvaturesis convex and another curvature is concave.

The third portion 314 of the end cap 404 may be generally flat unlikethe second and fourth portions. The third portion 314 may be generallydisposed in a horizontal plane as shown in FIG. 4 . In otherimplementations, the third portion 314 may be angled relative to thelongitudinal axis defined through the pontoon 200. The formation of theradii in the second and fourth portions of the end cap may be limitedbased on how easily the material in these portions can be pressed orotherwise formed. In one implementation, the end cap 404 may be asubstantially flat sheet of metal such as aluminum, and the material maybe press formed into its desired shape.

In the same way, the fourth section 216 of the pontoon 200 may be shapedand sized for receiving the end cap 404. The end cap 404 may be weldedto the fourth section 216 during the assembly process.

The present disclosure further contemplates a method of forming andassembling materials into the pontoon 200 of the present disclosure.Referring to FIG. 6 , one implementation of a method for forming apontoon for a boat is shown. The method 600 may include one or moreblocks for forming the pontoon 200. In one implementation, the method600 includes a first block 602 of providing a blank sheet of material.The material may be pre-cut by a supplier into the desired length. Inanother implementation, the blank sheet of material (e.g., an aluminumsheet) may be cut to its desired length in block 604. The cuttingprocess may utilize a laser cutter, for example, to cut out the desiredshape in block 604.

Once the material has been cut, a third block 606 is executed in themethod 600 by rolling the sheet of material to a desired diameter of thepontoon. In some implementations, the diameter may be between 15-50inches. In other implementations, the diameter may be between 20-40inches. In yet other implementations, the diameter may be between 20-30inches. For example, in non-limiting implementation, the desireddiameter of the pontoon may be approximately 25 inches. Once the sheetis rolled into a cylindrical section or tube in block 606, the method600 may advance to a fourth block 608 where a seam weld may be formed ontop. The seam weld may form a top seam, for example, on the formed tubein block 608, and the welding process may be achieved using a seamwelder.

In a fifth block 610 of the method 600, a baffle may be installed on afront side or portion of the newly-formed tube to form a seal. A weldingprocess may be used in block 610 for installing the baffle. Once block610 is executed, the method 600 may advance to block 612 where anotherwelding process is performed for coupling an end cap to a rear side ofthe tube. The end cap, or back plate, may be pre-formed in someimplementations. In other implementations, the end cap may be formedfrom another sheet of material such as aluminum. The desired shape ofthe end cap may be achieved via a laser machine cutting the shape in thematerial.

Once the desired size of the end cap is cut via the laser machine orother cutting machine, the method 600 of forming the pontoon may includein block 612 press forming the end cap to its desired shape. In oneimplementation, forming the desired shape of the end cap may be achievedusing a press machine. Here, the end cap 404 may be formed by pressingthe material to the desired radii as shown, for example, in FIG. 4 .Once the end cap 404 is formed into the desired shape and size, the endcap 404 is coupled to the rest of the tube section, e.g., fourth section216, in block 614. With the fourth section 216 formed in block 614, themethod 600 advances to block 616, the formed fourth section 216 and endcap 404 may be welded or otherwise coupled to another section. Thepontoon is either formed in block 616, or the method 600 advances toblock 618 where the fourth section 216 is coupled to additional sectionsforming the pontoon 200. The sections of the pontoon may be welded orotherwise coupled to from the pontoon. Weld seams, for example, may beused for coupling adjacent sections of the pontoon. Following thewelding process, the general shape of the pontoon 200 as shown in FIGS.2A and 2B may be achieved.

Following formation of the pontoon 200 in block 618, the method 600 maycontinue to block 620 where a wire chase 306 as well as a bilge bracket224 may be coupled to the end cap 404. Fish tape, string, or anothersuitable device may be used to route wires through the wire chase 306 tothe bracket 224. The wires, for example, may be installed or assembledalong a top of the pontoon 200 from a helm area of the boat. Lighting,sensors, transducers, anodes and the like may then be coupled to thebracket 224 in block 622 of the method 600.

The method 600 may further include coupling the one or more formedpontoons to a deck 110 of a boat 100 in block 624. In oneimplementation, a riser assembly 220 may be coupled to an underside ofthe deck 110 for coupling the pontoon to the boat. For a boat with aplurality of pontoons, the same method 600 may be used for coupling eachof the plurality of pontoons to the boat 100.

While exemplary implementations incorporating the principles of thepresent disclosure have been disclosed hereinabove, the presentdisclosure is not limited to the disclosed implementations. Instead,this application is intended to cover any variations, uses, oradaptations of the disclosure using its general principles. Further,this application is intended to cover such departures from the presentdisclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art towhich this disclosure pertains and which fall within the limits of theappended claims.

1. A longitudinal section of a pontoon for a pontoon boat, comprising: atubular body comprising a first end and a second end, the second endconfigured to being coupled to another section of the pontoon; an endcap coupled to the first end of the tubular body; wherein the end capcomprises a profile having at least two curvatures; wherein the at leasttwo curvatures including a first curvature defined by a first radius anda second curvature defined by a second radius.
 2. The longitudinalsection of claim 1, wherein the first curvature is convex and the secondcurvature is concave.
 3. The longitudinal section of claim 1, whereinthe profile forms a S-curve.
 4. The longitudinal section of claim 1,wherein the first radius is greater than the second radius.
 5. Thelongitudinal section of claim 1, wherein the first radius is less thanthe second radius.
 6. The longitudinal section of claim 1, wherein thefirst radius and second radius are approximately the same.
 7. Thelongitudinal section of claim 1, wherein the profile of the end cap isformed by a plurality of portions, the plurality of portions includingat least a first portion, a second portion, a third portion, a fourthportion, and a fifth portion; wherein at least the first portion andfifth portion are generally flat and disposed in planes parallel to oneanother.
 8. The longitudinal section of claim 7, wherein the fifthportion comprises a surface area that is greater than a surface area ofthe first portion.
 9. The longitudinal section of claim 7, wherein thesecond portion forms the first curvature and the fourth portion formsthe second curvature.
 10. The longitudinal section of claim 9, whereinthe third portion is generally flat and disposed at an angle relative tothe first and fifth portions.
 11. The longitudinal section of claim 10,wherein the first and fifth portions are arranged in vertical planesoffset from one another, and the third portion is arranged in ahorizontal plane.
 12. A pontoon boat, comprising: a frame having a firstend and a second end, the first end located at a bow and the second endlocated at the stern; a deck mounted to the frame; a pontoon forproviding floatation of the boat, the pontoon comprising: a longitudinalsection formed by a tubular body comprising a first end and a secondend, the second end configured to being coupled to another longitudinalsection of the pontoon; an end cap coupled to the first end of thetubular body; wherein the end cap comprises a profile having at leasttwo curvatures; wherein the at least two curvatures including a firstcurvature defined by a first radius and a second curvature defined by asecond radius.
 13. The pontoon boat of claim 12, wherein the pontooncomprises a plurality of pontoons.
 14. The pontoon boat of claim 12,wherein the first curvature is convex and the second curvature isconcave.
 15. The pontoon boat of claim 12, wherein the profile of theend cap is formed by a plurality of portions, the plurality of portionsincluding at least a first portion, a second portion, a third portion, afourth portion, and a fifth portion; wherein at least the first portionand fifth portion are generally flat and disposed in planes parallel toone another; wherein the second portion forms the first curvature andthe fourth portion forms the second curvature; wherein the third portionis generally flat and disposed at an angle relative to the first andfifth portions.
 16. The pontoon boat of claim 15, further comprising: abracket coupled to the fifth portion; a wire chase coupled to the endcap, the wire chase extending between the first portion and the fifthportion; and a riser assembly coupled between the tubular body and thedeck.
 17. The pontoon boat of claim 16, wherein the riser assemblyrearward of the end cap to overhang the tubular body.
 18. A method offorming a pontoon for a pontoon boat, comprising: forming asubstantially flat piece of material into a tubular body, the tubularbody having a defined length and diameter; forming an end cap to includea profile having at least two curvatures, the at least two curvaturescomprising a first curvature defined by a first radius and a secondcurvature defined by a second radius; coupling the end cap to thetubular body; forming a first section of the pontoon with the end capand tubular body; and coupling the first section of the pontoon with atleast a second section.
 19. The method of claim 18, wherein the tubularbody is formed by rolling the material to a desired diameter and cuttingthe material to a desired length.
 20. The method of claim 18, whereinthe forming an end cap comprises: pressing the end cap to define thefirst curvature and the second curvature; and forming a plurality ofportions of the end cap to define the profile, the plurality of sectionsincluding a first section, a third section and a fifth section beingsubstantially flat and a second section and a fourth section formed bythe respective first curvature and the second curvature.